When the Philadelphia 76ers selected Tyrese Maxey with the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the rookie guard couldn't wait to get to work. Although his first NBA training camp was delayed due to a positive COVID-19 test, Maxey still found ways to work out while in quarantine.
By the time he was cleared for action, the rookie had wasted no time traveling to the Sixers' practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, and getting straight to work. Maxey doesn't take days off. He's made it clear that he wants to learn and improve as much as possible on numerous occasions.
To a veteran like Anthony Tolliver, somebody who's been around the NBA since 2008, he's extremely impressed with what he's seen out of the 20-year-old rookie so far.
"He's gonna be a special kid -- a special player in this league for a long time," Tolliver said on Sunday afternoon. "Crazy speed, crazy athleticism -- it's something you can't teach. Just the nuances of the game as he gets better at those, that's going to be the determining factor. How high and how wide can his greatness spread?"
Oftentimes in the NBA, players get too comfortable with having limitations. Although they might be excellent in certain areas of the game, they might lack skills elsewhere. And instead of attempting to get uncomfortable improving in those weaker areas, they remain the same and never attempt to reach their ceiling.
For a player like Maxey, he doesn't come off as the type to rely solely on what he's good at. For example, coming into the NBA, Maxey had questions surrounding his long-range shooting. Throughout the year, he's shown a willingness to let it fly whether the shots are falling or not. And as time has gone on, he's shown improvement, and will likely only get better with time.
"The sky's the limit for him," Tolliver continued. "He has unbelievable potential. He's a great kid, great personality, hard worker. You know, you have those things, and you add in the ability to go out and learn. And not just the ability to learn, but the wanting to learn those next phases. He could easily just say, 'You know what? I'm really good at scoring. That's what I'm going to do.' He could make a great career from being a great scorer, but if he really wants to meet his highest potential, which I think he does, he's going to continue to listen and learn how to become a phenomenal point guard."
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